Collage of Los Angeles Dodgers who starred In the 1977 National League Championship Series October 1977:
The Los Angeles Dodgers were down to their last out
On the road
In Philadelphia
The best of five series was tied one game each
The Phillies led 5-3
Relief ace Gene Garber was pitching
The Dodgers sent Vic Davalillo to pinch hit
As Garber threw the ball, Davalillo prepared to catch it with his bat
The ball bounced between first and second base
By the time a surprised Ted Sizemore got to it, Davalillo was already at first
Manny Mota went to bat as a pinch hitter
Garber had two strikes on him
Then Mota golfed a low pitch deep to left
Greg Luzinski went back and got a glove on the ball
But could not catch it
Then his throw to Sizemore went astray
By the time the play ended, Davalillo had scored and Mota was on third
Davey Lopes slammed a chopper to third base
The ball bounced off Schmidt’s glove to shortstop Larry Bowa
Who in one motion caught the ball and whirled it to first
The umpire called Lopes safe
Tie game!
Some Phillies fans are still upset about this call and call this game “Black Friday”
But after watching the game on DVD, I am not convinced it was a bad call.
Earlier in the game there were worse calls than this one against both teams.
Anyway, the game went on.
Garber tried to pick Lopes off, but he threw it away and Lopes got to second.
Bill Russell then lined a single up the middle to bring home Lopes.
The Dodgers got the Phillies out without any runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Final score: Dodgers 6, Phillies 5.
The Dodgers beat the Phillies again the next day and went on to the World Series.
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